The project addresses the problem of inadequate support for families at risk of social exclusion living in and around Płock, especially in rural areas. Problems faced by families include marital crises, difficult financial situations, loss of jobs, threat of eviction, child-rearing difficulties. In crisis situations it is difficult for them to cope with their problems, to be supportive of each other and to defend their interests. Up to now, help for families has actually only been available from a church-related institution, which has been a barrier for many people. There is a lack of comprehensive support in the region to equip families with the competences to deal with challenges independently.
As part of the project, families at risk of social exclusion benefited from various types of support. One-to-one meetings were held with specialists in areas such as pedagogy or psychology. Specialist assistance was provided to parents and grandparents as well as to children and young people. The meetings took the form of crisis intervention, diagnosis, therapy, mediation sessions and parenting consultations. Families also benefited from legal consultations. Two support groups were organised – for parents and young people. A final conference “More aware-more independent. Adolescence crises” was attended by people working in 29 support institutions from the city and county of Płock, including social welfare centres, pedagogical counselling centres, schools, courts, the prosecutor’s office. In addition, the Project promoter organised legal training for people who came to Plock from Ukraine after the outbreak of war.
Almost 200 people from 127 families benefited from psychological and pedagogical support, while 34 people from families at risk of exclusion benefited from legal aid. Through consultations and participation in the support group, parents learned to recognise and deal with their emotions, improved their parenting skills, exchanged experiences with other parents and made new friends. Young people, in turn, were able to talk about the difficulties they experience at home and raised their self-esteem and self-confidence. Those working in local support institutions increased their knowledge of how to work with young people at risk of social exclusion, how to activate families, develop their independence and self-reliance.